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State of the Arts

Educators have long recognized the value of music, art, drama and writing for students’ creative development and academic success. Yet the arts remain squeezed by tight budgets and test-driven performance standards. This series highlights efforts to protect and promote school arts programs.

Fears imagined, realized, shared and sometimes faced

Northview Morgan Jarema

Art teacher September Buys invited her seventh- and eighth-graders to ask themselves questions famous artists ask themselves, to visualize their answers and then to create them...

From five-minute sketches to frightful creatures

Godfrey-Lee Alexis Stark

Godfrey-Lee art teacher Rosanne Steffens’ third-graders drew five-minute monster sketches; her high school Advanced Drawing students then reimagined them into terrifying monsters...

Making art a COVID lifesaver

East Grand Rapids Phil de Haan

A talented middle-school student finds relief from pandemic stress in his artwork...

Intro to printmaking a hit with fourth-graders

Northview Morgan Jarema

The annual lesson is part of a unit focused on contour lines, and builds on skills introduced and practiced in earlier grades...

00:01:56

A visit from angels

Godwin Heights Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

A trio of serene angels, a twinkling Star of Bethlehem and a clear midnight sky provide a holiday scene for seniors to enjoy...

From Sherlock Holmes to ‘The Spore’

East Grand Rapids Phil de Haan

Whether playing 'spore kid' or a street urchin, Zoë Cunningham is having the time of her life as an actress...

Middle, high schoolers band together

Kent City Janice Holst

Eighth-graders fill in key spots to help Kent City High School march into another state band championship...

Puppets help ‘The Little Prince’ safely take the stage

Godfrey-Lee Alexis Stark

Coming in the spring, The Wiz...

Cast resurrects ‘Young Frankenstein’

Wyoming Erin Albanese

More cast members were added to give current students the opportunity to perform...

00:01:25

Marching band racks up another national parade performance

Rockford Beth Heinen Bell

For the second time in four years, the Rockford High School marching band has learned that they’ll be performing for a national audience...

Mosaic Film Experience’s 10th anniversary event to award student filmmakers

State of the Arts Charles Honey

City High School graduate Mariah Barrera will speak at the 10th anniversary celebration of The Mosaic Film Experience on Wednesday, Nov. 3...

00:02:08

A joyful noise for all

Northview Morgan Jarema

A new program is putting a musical instrument in the hands of every district fifth-grader...

Pink Arrow Ts bring community together again, artfully

Lowell Beth Heinen Bell

A community art project, now on display at ArtPrize, has helped Lowell students start the school year on the right foot...

Like ballroom dancing without a partner

Kenowa Hills Alexis Stark

With COVID-19 safety restrictions in place, Kenowa Hills High School allowed the show to go on by filming a live performance of “Shakespeare’s Depictions of Love”...

‘Raising kids who care’

Kenowa Hills Alexis Stark

Zinser Elementary students created and sold artwork to friends and family and raised $2,100 to put toward a water tank in the community of Mityana, Uganda...

00:08:59

Musicians, actors, artists celebrated in video presentation

Byron Center Erin Albanese

The show has gone on in Byron Center schools, with music made, theater performed and art created despite the pandemic...

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School News Network reports on the 20 public school districts in Kent County, which enroll more than 90,000 students. Founded in 2013, we are an editorially independent news site funded by Kent ISD, local districts and community sponsors, and powered by an experienced team of reporters, editors and photojournalists. We specialize in covering classroom teaching and learning, analyzing the many issues that enhance or discourage student success, and highlighting the education magic that happens each day in our public schools.

‘You can do anything and everything’

Dads demonstrate dedication to students and learning

His heart is in the health care field

Northview grad is a future forest mapper

Book battle promotes literacy, teamwork

Future health care pros sample multiple career focuses

Young readers follow the recipe for perfect pound cake

Young engineers turn paper into a wild ride

Red Hawk Rivals episode 2: ‘Cornhole’

High-school journalists provide behind-the-scenes look at news production

Basketball team unites students, promotes inclusion

Diving into social-emotional learning

State of the Arts

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